Category: Bay Area

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ruby Rose, 39; Mikey Day, 45; Holly Hunter, 67; Spike Lee, 68. Happy Birthday: What you learn through the experiences you encounter this year will push you in a direction that encompasses lifestyle changes. Rethinking how you use your money, talents and connections will encourage you to save more and to distance yourself from those fostering bad habits. Putting your energy into fitness, diet and anything that stabilizes your life and daily routine is favored. The choice is yours. Your numbers are 7, 15, 23, 29, 31, 37, 48. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Tidy up your finances, investments and spending habits. Put debt to rest and pay down outstanding balances that are bleeding you dry. It’s not about how much you have; it’s about how you make use of what you have. Sell off unnecessary items, and turn your stuff into money in the bank. 5 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take uncertainty out of the equation by being blunt about what you want to know, and adjust your life to fit the results. Positive change begins with the facts

TODAY’S WORD — UPROSE (UPROSE: UP-roze: Stood up or got out of bed.) Average mark 22 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 28 or more words in UPROSE? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — NEOGENESIS: nene neon ness nine noes noise none nose nosing egis engine ensign oneness geese gene geneses genesis genie gesso gneiss goes gone seeing seen seine sense sensing siege sign signee sine sing singe soigne sone song To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

At 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued an updated lake wind advisory in effect until Thursday, Mar. 20 at 5 a.m. for the Greater Lake Tahoe Area. The NWS Reno NV states to be ready for, “Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph and waves 1 to 4 feet.” “Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve,” according to the NWS. “Check lake conditions before heading out and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.” Originally Published: March 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM PDT Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans. Our data comes from publicly available information. You can report errors to content@bayareanewsgroup.com

California, Monte Vista win in extra innings; Willow Glen, Los Gatos roll. In softball, Pinole Valley’s McKenzie Ortega strikes out 15, homers in league victory. Granada’s Peyton Richards, shown here in a file photo, had three hits and scored twice to help lead the Matadors over Dougherty Valley in an East Bay Athletic League game. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Jack Yribarren’s two-run single highlights big first inning for San Ramon Valley as Wolves turn back Foothill in EBAL play. Originally Published: March 19, 2025 at 9:30 PM PDT

Cannabis and creativity go hand in hand—especially when it comes to art. Cannabis art classes have become the latest thing, offering a laid-back environment where you can paint, mold clay, and get your creative juices flowing, all while enjoying a little cannabis. Whether you’re into painting or pottery, these workshops are a perfect mix of fun, relaxation, and art. Here’s everything you need to know about signing up for these classes and finding the best ones to try! What Are Cannabis Art Classes? Cannabis art classes are just what they sound like: creative workshops where you can get your hands dirty (literally) and make something beautiful while enjoying cannabis in a legal, chill space. Depending on where you are, these classes can range from painting and pottery to other forms of art, all with the option to consume cannabis in a relaxed setting. The idea is to combine the calming, creative effects of cannabis with the joy of making art—whether that’s painting a masterpiece or crafting the perfect pottery mug. For example, you might attend a cannabis painting class, where you’re encouraged to puff, pass

By Collin Binkley and Chris Megerian | Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the shutdown of the U.S. Education Department, according to a White House official, advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity before an announcement. Trump has derided the Department of Education as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, finalizing its dismantling is likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” The Trump administration has already been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the

18971 Sara Park Circle – Google Street View The property located in the 18900 block of Sara Park Circle in Saratoga was sold on Feb. 14, 2025 for $1,450,000, or $863 per square foot. The condominium, built in 1980, has an interior space of 1,680 square feet. This apartment has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Additionally, the home includes a two-car garage, ensuring ample room for parking and storage. The lot of the property covers an area of 1,260 square feet. Additional units that have recently been purchased close by include: A 1,192-square-foot unit on the 18900 block of Sara Park Circle in Saratoga sold in July 2023, for $1,150,000, a price per square foot of $965. The unit has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In October 2023, a 1,988-square-foot unit on Biarritz Lane in Saratoga sold for $1,575,000, a price per square foot of $792. The unit has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. On Vineyard Lane, Saratoga, in June 2024, a 1,860-square-foot unit was sold for $1,530,000, a price per square foot of $823. The unit has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. This article

California Senate Republicans’ goal of slashing gasoline prices by stopping recent environmental regulations – a centerpiece of their agenda this year – is likely dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled legislature. The Senate Environmental Quality Committee, which is dominated by Democrats, effectively killed Republicans’ Senate Bill 2 during a Wednesday hearing, according to two state senators. The bill would have halted recent changes by state air quality regulators that strengthened limits on the carbon-intensity of gas and other fuels. The policy change is expected to cut pollution and climate-warming fuels but further raise California’s already sky-high gas prices – though the exact cost impact is the subject of debate. On Wednesday, the average price of a gallon of gas was $4.65 in California, compared to $3.10 nationally. “Unless there is a deal that is struck, or unless the committee members have a major change of heart, the bill is not moving forward,” said Nina Krishel Fisher, a spokesperson for Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones. Only three committee members voted for the bill, short of the five votes needed to advance it. Two Republicans and Bakersfield

San Jose leaders have signed off on Mayor Matt Mahan’s budget message centered around demonstrating outcomes and accountability for the upcoming year amid the anticipated financial challenges the city could face. After several hours of spirited public testimony and discussion, the City Council in a 7-4 vote approved prioritizing reducing unsheltered homelessness, increasing community safety, cleaning up neighborhoods, growing the economy and building more housing in next year’s budget. “It takes courage to challenge the status quo,” Mahan said. “It takes courage to pass bold initiatives. It takes courage to stand up for what you believe in.” Facing a projected shortfall of $45.7 million this year and another $52.9 million next year, Mahan framed this year’s budget message around instilling a culture shift and leading with pragmatism, efficiency and the need for accountability. He has proposed three core policy initiatives that include adding more flexibility to shift Measure E funds from affordable housing projects to interim homelessness solutions, amending the municipal code to allow trespassing charges for homeless residents that refuse available shelter three times and putting out a ballot measure that would tie merit

Six months after the collapse of a $1.5 billion plan to expand Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County to provide more water to Bay Area residents, state officials began Wednesday to redistribute nearly half a billion dollars that had been earmarked for the failed project. The California Water Commission, a panel appointed by the governor, voted 7-0 to give $73 million immediately to the Harvest Water Program in Sacramento County, in addition to $291 million it had previously provided. Now under construction, that $591 million project, will take 50,000 acre-feet of recycled wastewater — about 16 billon gallons a year — from Sacramento homes and businesses, and use it to irrigate 16,000 acres of farmland, recharge underground aquifers and restore wetlands for sandhill cranes, fish and other wildlife in Sacramento County near the lower Cosumnes River when it is completed in two years. But the commission punted Wednesday on a question being closely watched by water managers around the state: When will it dole our the rest of the Los Vaqueros money? And which other reservoirs and other water storage projects being planned around

After working to shut down recent divorce rumors, Michelle Obama still appears prepared to spill some tea about her relationship with her husband Barack Obama in a podcast conversation this week with Kylie Kelce. In a preview for Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” episode, which is scheduled to drop Thursday, the former first lady revealed how she and the former president are very much still together, according to the Daily Beast. However, she also disclosed that they don’t necessarily agree on the right time for going to bed, with the two sometimes clashing on her desire to turn in early. Michelle Obama insisted that she likes to go to bed early, suggesting that the former president likes to stay up — doing what, she didn’t say. “My husband teases me about how early I can go to bed,” Michelle Obama told Kelce, the wife of retired NFL star Jason Kelce. “He just doesn’t understand — the idea of getting into some good sheets, and it’s cool.” If they have guests, Michelle Obama said she loves to stay up late, laughing and talking. “I’m game, I’m there

FREMONT — A San Jose man has been charged with vehicular manslaughter for allegedly killing an Oakley woman in an early morning drunk driving crash, court records show. Sayed Maqsoodi, 21, is charged with killing 21-year-old Kassie Watkins in the Feb. 22 crash on Interstate 680 near the Scott Creek Road exit in Fremont. The crash occurred around 2:21 a.m. between a Toyota containing Watkins and a Honda Maqsoodi was driving, according to the California Highway Patrol. Police say Maqsoodi refused to take a sobriety test, but there were obvious signs he was drunk, including, “red/watery eyes, slurred speech, unsteady gait, and an odor of an alcoholic beverage” emanating from him. He was arrested at the scene of the crash. Prosecutors charged Maqsoodi with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated on March 7. He has posted $60,000 bail and been released from jail, court records show. An online fundraiser for Watkins said she left behind two daughters, aged 2 and 3. “Kassie was a force to be reckoned with, a kind, loving, and just all-around beautiful human being, who will be terribly missed by all those

5365 Mayten Grove Court – Google Street View The property located in the 5300 block of Mayten Grove Court in San Jose was sold on Feb. 14, 2025. The $1,300,000 purchase price works out to $1,059 per square foot. The house, built in 1977, has an interior space of 1,227 square feet. This single-story house has three bedrooms and two baths. The home’s exterior showcases roofing materials crafted from composition shingles. Inside, there is a fireplace. Additionally, the home comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space. The property’s lot measures 4,500 square feet square feet in area. These nearby houses have also recently been sold: On Fragrant Harbor Court, San Jose, in May 2024, a 1,644-square-foot home was sold for $1,225,000, a price per square foot of $745. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. In January 2025, a 1,132-square-foot home on Bingham Court in San Jose sold for $1,225,000, a price per square foot of $1,082. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A 1,770-square-foot home on the 5200 block of Centerhart Court in San

Housing and data center combo may sprout this year in downtown San Jose New tower and data hub could rise near lively urban spot (Studio Gang) 345-unit housing tower within a mixed-use development at 323 Terraine Street in downtown San Jose, concept. A housing tower and data center project may sprout by year’s end at a choice downtown San Jose site. Originally Published: March 19, 2025 at 11:55 AM PDT

Facts, not fear: Inside Mexico’s pioneering drug harm reduction programs The programs aim to address drug use from a public health and social justice perspective, rather than a security one. A man waits for his drug’s lab results at the Check Your Substance booth that offers free drug testing, where people can confirm their drug does not contain adulterants or fentanyl, at a three-day electronic music festival in Mexico City, late Friday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurea Del Rosario) The programs aim to address drug use from a public health and social justice perspective, rather than a security one. Originally Published: March 19, 2025 at 11:50 AM PDT

OAKLAND — An Alameda man has been charged with murder for allegedly killing his girlfriend, an act the suspect’s mom told police was accidental, court records show. Terrence Miles, 32, was charged with murdering 19-year-old Davonye Cummings on March 2. He has also been charged with domestic violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Miles was arrested the same day has the homicide and has been at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin ever since. He is next due in court on April 1, to enter a plea, and he cannot be bailed out, records show. Cummings was shot in the neck a little after 8 a.m., at an apartment on the 2600 block of 74th Avenue. Police learned of the homicide from Miles’ mom, who called 911 to tell police that she’d just received a disturbing phone call from her son, authorities said. “Mom help! I shot her,” Miles allegedly told his mother, adding, “I didn’t mean to.” Police responded to the apartment, arrested Miles, and seized a Glock pistol from a bedroom inside, where Cummings’ body was also found, authorities said.

Spring is almost here — officially, at least. The vernal equinox arrives on Thursday, marking the start of the spring season for the Northern Hemisphere and the fall in the Southern Hemisphere. On the equator, the sun will be directly overhead at noon. Equinoxes are the only time when both the north and south poles are lit by sunshine at the same time. The events have been marked and celebrated around the world for centuries. Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, is based on the spring equinox, for example. And at the Mayan site Chichen Itza in Mexico, people gather during the equinox to watch the sun create a shadow pattern that resembles a serpent descending a building called El Castillo. But what is happening in the heavens? Here’s what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth’s orbit. What is the equinox? As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle. For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally

Mark Gurman (Bloomberg) — Alphabet Inc.’s Google launched a redesigned version of its budget Pixel phone, upgrading the chip and battery life weeks after Apple Inc.’s lower-end iPhone 16e went on sale. The new Pixel 9a, announced Wednesday, costs $499, in line with the price of last year’s Pixel 8a. That compares with the $599 starting price of the iPhone 16e, which went on sale in February and is being positioned as a lower-end alternative to the iPhone 16. The Pixel 9a will be available in stores in April. While Google’s Pixel phones have won over some customers with their artificial intelligence capabilities and integration with Google services, the devices have never made a significant dent in the premium segment dominated by Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. But the lower-end products have helped the company slowly expand its overall market share, with IDC saying Google recorded its “highest-ever smartphone volumes” in the third quarter last year. The new iPhone 16e presents Google with fresh competition in the lower-end phone space. At the current price points, the Pixel 9a device is only $100 cheaper than the

Many Los Gatos residents spoke favorably of policies that protect education, the environment and diversity, equity and inclusion at a town council meeting on Tuesday. On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump ordered a temporary pause on the distribution of federal grants and loans, specifically for programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental projects like the Green New Deal. That order was withdrawn, but the president still insisted on the funding freeze. Although the full impact of the freeze is still unknown, the town determined that Los Gatos was set to receive almost $10 million in federal funding. However, about $7.7 million has not yet been received, and the funds are not directly related to DEI initiatives, climate programs or education. “Fundamentally, I believe that the town of Los Gatos has a responsibility and an obligation to stand up for our residents and tackle these blatant attacks on our community head on,” said Vice Mayor Rob Moore. “I believe that this discussion is an important first step toward addressing these issues.” In a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Mary Badame dissenting, town council directed

The Solano County District Attorney’s Office will not retry the misdemeanor sex assault and battery allegations against a former Vacaville dentist, The Reporter has learned. Deputy District Attorney Mary Nguyen, after consulting with all of the victims in the case, believed it was “in the best interest for all concerned to not retry the case,” according to a statement issued by the DA’s Office. The decision came Monday, when Nguyen and the attorney for David Evans Webb, appeared in Department 6 of Solano County Superior Court in Fairfield. Webb, 47 and a resident of Pocatello, Idaho, was not present for the scheduled setting of a new jury trial in Judge Kelly J. Trujillo’s courtroom. A jury last month found Webb not guilty on two misdemeanor battery counts, but hung on five others, and the judge declared a mistrial. He faced allegations in connection to multiple accusations of sexual assault and battery in Solano County. Through the course of several days of deliberations in the case, jurors on Feb. 13 first found Webb not guilty of sexual battery, willfully and and unlawfully touching the intimate part

Sugar comes in a variety of forms, from white to light, medium, and dark brown sugar, as well as Demerara, Muscovado and Turbinado. (Getty Images) For more than a century, C&H sugar has dominated the sugar conversation, but recent years have brought plenty of competition to the brown sugar aisle. Which brand is best for baking?